This application is based on Japanese Patent Application 2000-084448, filed on Mar. 24, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data modifying apparatus, and more particularly to a data modifying apparatus capable of modifying musical performance data.
b) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the format of performance data.
Performance data SD is automatic performance data of one musical program, and is constituted of performance data of tracks 1 to n each including initial setting data. If the performance data SD is written in the standard MIDI file format, the initial setting data and real performance data are expressed in the MIDI data format. The performance data SD (MIDI data) has timing data for the reproduction of each note and note events each including pitch data of each musical tone, tone value data, tone reproduction length data and the like. The performance data SD also has setting data for setting performance environments such as tone properties and effects for a series of consecutive musical tones.
The initial setting data is often positioned at the top of the performance data SD. The initial setting data is preset for playing the musical program. For example, the initial setting data includes a tone property event, rhythm data and the like at the start of automatic performance, as well as a tone volume and effects.
Each track can be roughly classified into the initial setting data and following real performance data. The real performance data is performance data (parameters) other than the initial setting data, for example, data continuing immediately after a timing TA at the start of a musical program.
Three methods xe2x80x9cmusical score notationxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cnumerical value notationxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpiano roll notationxe2x80x9d are well known as a MIDI data notation methods. MIDI data can be modified by using these methods.
With the musical score notation, MIDI data is represented by a musical score form. In modifying MIDI data, notes and signatures are placed on a staff notation, and the position of each note or signature is changed or each note or signature is deleted, for example, by using a mouse.
Musical score data is used for musical score notation of real performance data. As the musical score data, data for displaying tune, rhythm and the like on the staff, data for identifying real performance data corresponding to the displayed musical score data, and other data are stored. After these data, position data corresponding to timing data of the real performance data for displaying notes and signatures corresponding to an event at each timing is stored.
In this specification, the xe2x80x9cperformance dataxe2x80x9d is intended to mean automatic performance data including musical score data. If musical score data corresponding to performance data does not exist, the performance data (automatic performance data) contains only the performance data without musical score data.
With the numerical value notation, all MIDI data are represented by numerical values stored in a table. In modifying MIDI data, numerical values at corresponding table positions are changed or deleted, or new numerical values are entered in the table at corresponding positions.
With the piano roll notation, the length of each tone and its reproduction timing are represented by a bar graph.
For automatic performance, initial setting data is first read to initialize tone property and the like, and then real performance data is read synchronously with timings T to play the program by reproducing sounds and stopping sounds.
For example, for the automatic performance of the performance data SD shown in FIG. 9, the initial setting data is first read to initialize the tone property corresponding to the tone property event in the initial setting information. Then, data such as rhythm data and the like is read. It is assumed that the tone property set by the tone property event of the performance data SD is for violin. Because of the structure of violin, some chords cannot be played with violin.
Next, at a timing TA, note events A, B, C and D are read at the same time. Namely, although an instruction to reproduce a chord of four tones is issued, a violin cannot play this chord. Therefore, if the performance data SD shown in FIG. 9 is played, an unnatural performance is made which cannot be actually played with a violin.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data modifying apparatus capable of automatically modifying performance data so as to make the performance data match the performance of a natural musical instrument and provide a storage medium storing a performance data modifying program.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data modifying apparatus comprising: a memory that stores modification data for modifying data; a detector that detects each data group from performance data, the data group being unable to be reproduced at the same time from a viewpoint of music; and a modifying device that modifies the data group detected by the detector to divide the data group into a plurality of sub-data groups capable of being reproduced at the same time from a viewpoint of music, by using the modification data.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a data modifying apparatus comprising: a detector that detects a portion of performance data played with a predetermined tone property, a plurality of sounds in the portion being reproduced at the same reproduction timing; and a modifying device that modifies modifying a reproduction timing of some of the plurality of sounds in the portion detected by the detector.
According to the invention, performance data can be modified automatically so as to make the performance data match the performance of a natural musical instrument.